2 Samuel 15
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
2 Samuel 15
NJB (MT versing) Absalom's Conspiracy Absalom's Treason Absalom Revolts Absalom Plans Rebellion Absalom's Intrigues 15:1-6 15:1-9 15:1-6 15:1-6 15:1-6 Absalom's Rebellion 15:7-12 15:7-12 15:7-8 15:7-9 15:9-12 15:10-12 15:10-12 David Flees Jerusalem David Escapes from Jerusalem David Flees Jerusalem David Flees from Jerusalem David's Flight 15:13-18 15:13-18 15:13-18 15:13 15:13-23 15:14 15:15-16 15:17-20 15:19-23 15:19-23 15:19-23 15:21 15:22-23 The Ark Is Left in Jerusalem 15:24-29 15:24-29 15:24-29 15:24-29 15:24-29 Hushai Is Briefed to Work for David 15:30-31 15:30-31 15:30-31 15:30-31 15:30-31 15:32-37 15:32-37 15:32-37 15:32-36 15:32-37 15:37 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS This chapter fulfills Nathan's prophecy found in 2 Samuel 12:10-12. Absalom was a tall, handsome, dark-haired man, cf. 2 Sam. 14:25-26. He looked much like Saul.
2 Samuel 15:1-6
15:1 "Absalom" His name (BDB 5) meant "Father of Peace." But he was not anything like his name. ▣ "a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him" This was a sign of kingship (cf. 1 Sam. 8:11; 1 Kgs. 1:5). 15:2 "stand beside the way to the gate" "The gate" is usually a place of justice. It would be analogous to our town hall in a small American city. However, this may be a reference to the gate of the king's palace. Those who were not satisfied with the judgment they received at the city gate often appealed to the king, who represented YHWH. 15:6 "Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel" Absalom attemped to identify himself with the people, while David became further and further alienated. "no man listens to you," v. 3 "I would give him justice," v. 4 "take hold of him and kiss him," v. 5 "Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel," v. 6
2 Samuel 15:7-12
15:7 NASB, NKJV, JPSOA, LXX "forty years" NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, Peshitta, some LXX MSS "four years" David's entire reign lasted only forty years, so this is obviously a scribal error. Several ancient translations have "four" (cf. Arabic, Josephus, [Antiq. 7.9.1], and Jerome's Vulgate). The USB Text Project, p. 240, gives "four" a "C" rating (considerable doubt). ▣ "in Hebron" Hebron is the site of Absalom's birth. It was the original site of the capital of David's reign. It was also the place where David was anointed king over Judah. It has ancient, sacred connections with Abraham (i.e., burial cave at Machpelah, cf. Genesis 23). 15:8 "while I was living at Geshur in Syria" Absalom was exiled for Amnon's death (cf. 2 Sam. 13:20-39). Geshur is the site of his mother's birth. ▣ "If the Lord shall indeed. . ." Absalom is using YHWH's name in a lie! ▣ "bring me back" The MT has a Hiphil IMPERFECT (BDB 996, KB 1427), but the Masoretic scholars suggested it be changed to a Qal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE of the VERB "dwell" (BDB 442, KB 444). 15:10 "the sound of the trumpet" Shophar (BDB 1051) is the ram's horn used for religious and military purposes. Here, it proclaimed a new king (cf. 1 Kgs. 1:34). SPECIAL TOPIC: HORNS USED BY ISRAEL ▣ "Absalom is king in Hebron" This coup was his plan all along. He went to Hebron to be proclaimed to clearly show Judean support for his kingship. This should have been a strongly Davidic region. 15:11 NASB, Peshitta "went innocently" "went along innocently" "went in their innocence" NJB, REB "gone in all innocence" "went in good faith" "going in their simplicity" "went naively" The MT has the NOUN (BDB 1070) "innocence," "simplicity," or "integrity." These 200 men did not know what Absalom had planned (i.e., possibly an inauguration dinner). Notice the next phrase, "they did not know anything." These men were innocent of rebellion. 15:12 "Ahithophel" His name (BDB 27) means "my brother is folly." This name seems to have been altered by later scribes, who substituted the vowels for bosheth (shame) into the original name. He was a well known wise man. His support for Absalom would give credence to Absalom's rebellion. He was possibly Bathsheba's grandfather. ▣ "while he was offering the sacrifices" It is uncertain who is offering sacrifices. Absalom in some type of a sacrificial inauguration ritual (NRSV, TEV, NET) Ahithophel the counselor; it would be surprising for a non-priest to offer sacrifices (REB) The order of the MT supports #2.
2 Samuel 15:13-18
15:13 David's lack of attention to his position as judge gave Absalom the opportunity to pull the hearts of the common Israelites away from loyalty to David (cf. v. 6). 15:14 David immediately recognized the danger to himself, his servants, and the capital city/ark of the covenant. 15:16 "the king left ten concubines to keep the house" These second level wives (see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 618-619) of David will be publicly (i.e., on the roof of the palace) used to (cf. 2 Sam. 16:21-22) affirm a total break with David assert Absalom's kingship For information on harems in this time and place see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 115-120). 15:18 "all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath" This refers to David's mercenary army of his younger days (cf. 1 Sam. 23:13; 30:9). These were probably foreign mercenaries Israeli malcontents who followed David when he settled in Gath of the Philistines This would be the core of his loyal body guard.
2 Samuel 15:19-23
15:19-20 "Ittai the Gittite" This shows David's concern for individuals, even non-Israelites. He became one of David's military leaders (cf. 2 Sam. 18:2). Notice David's blessing on him in v. 20. "mercy" ‒ this is literally "faithfulness" (BDB 54). See SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH, AND FAITHFULNESS IN THE OT. "truth" ‒ this is literally "loyalty" (BDB 338), hesed. See SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (hesed). The JPSOA combines these two NOUNS into "true faithfulness," while REB has "steadfast friend." 15:21-22 Ittai and his family, servants, and army chose to go with David, even though at this point it looked as if David would be defeated by his son and killed. 15:21 "As the Lord lives" This is an oath formula which was a word play on the Hebrew VERB "to be" (BDB 224) and the covenant name for Israel's Deity, YHWH (BDB 217). SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. ▣ "Lord" The second English "Lord" is Adon, which can mean "husband," "master," "owner." It is analogous to Kurios in the NT. 15:23 "the way of the wilderness" This designation could refer to several roads. From 2 Sam. 17:24,27; 19:32 we know David fled across the Jordan close to Jericho and went to Mahanaim, a city on the Jabbock River close to the large north-south trans-Jordan highway known as "the King's Highway."
2 Samuel 15:24-29
15:24-29 "Zadok" His name (BDB 843) means "just" or "righteous." He is first mentioned in 2 Sam. 8:17. Here in 2 Sam. 15:24-29 he and Abiathar (last priest of Eli's line, who was not killed at the slaughter of Nob, cf. 1 Samuel 22) were both priests and custodians of the ark of the covenant. Both are told to return the ark to the Temple in Jerusalem. For the origin of Zadok see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 372-376. SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ARK OF THE COVENANT 15:24 "Abiathar" The text is uncertain but apparently he stayed behind in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices or a time of prayer for David in the Temple before joining David and Zadok on the route out of town. 15:25 "His habitation" This is a reference to the tabernacle. There is some question as to whether this was the original tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness or the new tent which David built. SPECIAL TOPIC: TABERNACLE OF THE WILDERNESS 15:26 David trusted YHWH's care and purpose. It is so important not to let immediate circumstances distort one's view of God or His character. SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (OT) 15:27 "Are you not a seer" This was one of several Hebrew terms to denote a prophet. Seer (BDB 900) is from the root "to see." But here it probably simply means "Do you understand?" (JPSOA). It is possible it means "you are not the chief priest" (emendation). SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHET (the different Hebrew terms) ▣ "Zadok" See NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1300-1302. ▣ "Abiathar" See NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 348-349. 15:28 "the fords of the wilderness" This would refer to the shallow crossing points in the Jordan River nearer Jericho.
2 Samuel 15:30-31
15:30-32 There are several terms and phrases used to describe "mourning." wept head covered barefoot coat torn dust on the head SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES 15:31 This is a message brought by the sons of Zadok and Abiathar to tell David to continue his flight to safety (cf. vv. 28-29; 17:17). The MT has "David told" but most translations (DSS, Peshitta, Targums, Vulgate, and some LXX MSS) change this to "David was told" or "one told David" (the UBS Text Project, p. 244, gives this a "C" rating (considerable doubt). ▣ "I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness" David's prayer is answered with his suicide. See 2 Sam. 16:23; 17:14,23. SPECIAL TOPIC: SUICIDE
2 Samuel 15:32-37
15:32 "It happened as David was coming to the summit where, God was worshiped" This refers to a local high place on the Mount of Olives. ▣ "Hushai" He was a faithful counselor to David (cf. v. 37). David sent him back to Jerusalem to thwart Ahithophel's advice (cf. 2 Samuel 17). ▣ "the Archite" This ADJECTIVE (BDB 74, cf. 2 Sam. 15:32; 16:16; 17:5,14; 1 Chr. 27:33) is used in Josh. 16:2 for a city or region near Bethel in Benjamin. 15:33 "you will be a burden to me" Nothing in the context informs us why. Scholarly speculation is he was very old (cf. 2 Sam. 19:35) he was just one more mouth to feed he, for some reason, could not travel well it might be an idiom meaning "you could be more help by. . ." (v. 34) 15:34 David sends Hushai back to Jerusalem for the purpose of thwarting Ahithopel's advice. 2 Samuel 17:14 shows the mysterious combination of man's will and God's will. Somehow both are relevant. SPECIAL TOPIC: ELECTION/PREDESTINATION AND THE NEED FOR A THEOLOGICAL BALANCE 15:35-36 The two priests would act as spies for David and their two sons would carry the messages.